Info PADI converts to eCards 10 Jan 2023

[lowwall]

While on one level I recognize PADI produces 1000s of divers who then move on to more organized, more focused training (ergo, PADI probably provides some level of buoyancy to other certifying organizations), on another level I shake my head in disbelief in how an organization with such noble roots can be such a mess.

Noble roots? PADI was founded by a salesman for US Divers and a swimming instructor who saw a way to increase both of their businesses by making it easier for individual shops and instructors to offer classes and easier for students to pass them (compared to the already established NAUI and YMCA scuba).

 

[BlueTrin]

thanks to this thread I went to iantd to lookup my one card from them (from 1994) and it was NOT found. So I sent them a contact. Should I ever lose my card I would like to be able to prove I HAD it. Right now I don't think I can.

In the past you could look for yourself if you looked on the PADI website to order a replacement card.

I don’t know if that still works.

 

[RIHappyDiver]

Note that the nitrox card says what it's for - and the AOW just says I meet the certification requirements. AOW was issued 2010 and nitrox was 2011. Unfortunate that they didn't include the name of the cert prior to 2010 - at least for mine.

View attachment 757814View attachment 757815

Yes, that’s exactly what mine say. I don’t have a picture of my Self Reliant, I’ll have to check what it says.

 

[Belzelbub]

They didn’t change it. My AOW and EA cards are the same as yours, except 2016 and 2017. Interestingly, my original C-card has my photo on the same side that states my certification, with all my personal info, including SS # (I never realized it was on there) on the other. Given that the photo was taken in 1978 I don’t expect anyone to recognize me !

This made me check. My original OW (PADI) has the OW designation on the back side. Name, Student number, instructor, etc on the front. No SS, though.

My YMCA OW has photo and OW designation on one side, info card on the other. That one includes SS#.

Subsequent certs have all been with SSI. Graphical back has the designation. The other side contains my photo, student number, instructor, and designation. This side also has a QR code that takes you to a site where anyone can verify the info as long as they have my birthdate. Site will list all certs, not just the one that was presented. SSI app also has this barcode, and all certs as e-cards for no extra charge.

 

[RIHappyDiver]

This made me check. My original OW (PADI) has the OW designation on the back side. Name, Student number, instructor, etc on the front. No SS, though.

My YMCA OW has photo and OW designation on one side, info card on the other. That one includes SS#.

Subsequent certs have all been with SSI. Graphical back has the designation. The other side contains my photo, student number, instructor, and designation. This side also has a QR code that takes you to a site where anyone can verify the info as long as they have my birthdate. Site will list all certs, not just the one that was presented. SSI app also has this barcode, and all certs as e-cards for no extra charge.

Yup, mine with the SS # is YMCA. I was 17 at the time and didn’t care who had my soc #.

 

[Damselfish]

If all the info is not all on one side, maybe in addition to a pic take a very short video where you flip the card over…

 

[tursiops]

If all the info is not all on one side, maybe in addition to a pic take a very short video where you flip the card over…

At what point might it be easier to just carry the card?

 

[BlueTrin]

At what point might it be easier to just carry the card?

Maybe the solution is to print the photos of the card, cut them and slide the printouts between the phone and the phone case.

Then you could put these printouts in your wallet …


…

Wait a second

 

[traiano]

Funny story regarding photos of cards presented as proof of certification. I tried to use a PDF of scanned photos of my original PADI DM card from 2009. One side of the card has the PADI logo and says "Divemaster" while the OTHER side of the card shows my photo, name, cert number, and date. The dive operator looked at the PDF with those two images combined on the one PDF and said, "How do I know those two photos are from the same card?" Because the side with my photo, name, etc, did not always say PADI and Divemaster, he would not accept it. He assumed that it could easily be fraudulent and that those two photos were not in fact from the same card.

So be careful with photos of cards. I'm not sure if this applies to current PADI cards or not, but it is clearly an issue with older cards.

My SDI/TDI digital cards downloaded from their website or app all have everything on one image ... photo, name, certification, certification number, instructor, dive center, and agency. I pretty much use those exclusively and have never had an issue with those being accepted. In my above example, once I showed him one of my TDI cards (Advanced Nitrox), he was happy.

I put all my cards on my desk and took a 30 second video showing me flip the cards over one by one, pausing so the viewer can read the info on the front of each card. That way the dive shop can see the front and the back of every card. I’ve never had to show the video at a dive shop, but I’m ready just in case.

 

[MarkA]

At what point might it be easier to just carry the card?

You mean we don’t need a cell phone to go diving. Who would have thought